Flashlight



PatentedFeb. 3,

sf PATENT OFFICE FLASHLIGHT Bernard F. Muldoon, Mountanview, N. J., asslgnorto Henry Hyman, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application May 24, 1939, Serial No. 275,364

3 Claims.

pocket, the battery cells being assembled side by side and removably held in position by spring means while the lamp socket and contacts are insertable and removableby hand. Also, longitudinal metal strips 'are applied to the outside of the casing and not only serve to ornament l the same but are also for functional purposes.

The invention will be understood from the description in,l connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is an vedge view of the device partly in section; the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing some of theassembled parts; Fig. 3 isa similar view in the other directionwith parts omitted; Fig. 4 is an end view of holding clips; Figs. 5 and 6 are side and end Views, respectively, of a battery-holding spring and contact; Figs. 'l and 8 are side and end views, respectively, of the lampbulb contact; Figs. 9 and 10 are side and end views, respectively, of lanother battery and strip contact; Fig- 11y is a section through the switch mechanism; andFig. 12 is .a section along the line I2-I2 of Fig. 2.

In the drawing, reference characters I and I' represent duplicate halves of the battery casing which is made of insulating material. Grooves 2, 2 extend longitudinally along the outside of the casing members I and I'from the front ends thereof to short distancesfrom the other ends. Metal strips 3 and lare located in the grooves 2 and 2'. The upper ends 5 of these strips are bent inwardly to form grips or catches for the flanges 6 of a cap or cover 'I that is made of transparent or translucent insulating material.

' Cleats 8 are provided -at intervalsl along the cleats,

edges of the metal strips 3 .and 4. Thesel extend through holes 9 in the casing halves I and I', and the ends thereof are bent overl in contact with the inside walls of these casing halves to retain the metal strips 3 and 4 in position. Holes III may be provided at intervals along the facing edges of the-halves I and I' to receive dowel pins to prevent these halves from shifting laterally with respect to each other.

Transverse grooves II are provided between Fig. 2-is a section along which is curved at the'bottom,

this wall and a short wall 30 parallel to thel 1 wall 25.

walls I2 in each casing lisintegral with the casing half I.

half or section and a spring clip |I3 (Fig. 4) is fastened in one of the grooves Il, and a similar but slightly longer spring clip I4 is II. These clips I3 and I4 are held in place by some of the cleats 8 passing through holes therein and ,being bent over. The clip I3 is provided with .curved ends I5 bent inwardly. The ends I6 of the clip I4 are also bent inwardly, and these ends are longer than the ends I5 and terminate in outwardly curved portions asindicated at I1. In this way, when the section l' carrying the clip I4 is brought face to face with the section I carrying the clip I3 and the two pressed together, the ends I6 snapover the curved ends I5, thereby retaining the two halves of the casing in assembled relation, so that they pulled apart with the fingers.'

can ybe sprung or Ihe walls ofthe casing halves I` and I are thickened as shown atf20, and a-spring contact 2lv (Figs. 2, 5 and 6) for battery cells, having attached thereto or struck out therefrom a holding member 22 with an upturned end 23, is pushed in and becomes wedged in a rectangular hole 2 4 inone of the members I or I'.

A short transverse wall or support 25 (Fig. 1)

' A spring contact clip 26 (Figs. 2, 'l and 8) is held upon the wall 25 with the end of its contact arm 2l in line with the lamp bulb and with its lip 28, fitting between 3| is spring pressed/on A spring clip contact isin line with ther wall the 'short wall 32 which 25. A contact spring arm 33 rests against the inner surface of one of the metal strips 3 or 4. The curved clip 34 on the contact 3| enters the space between the wall 32 and a parallel wall 35 to'k'eep the clip 3| removably in place.

A transverse wall 36 extends across each casing half near the lamp bulb end thereof, and each one of these walls is provided at itsmiddle with a semicircular recess 31 to accommodate a lamp sccket38. This socket is provided with a spring plate 39 to spring into the space between the walls 30, 35 and 36 to retain the socket 38 relmovably in place. y-A lamp bulb 40 screws into l the socket 38. 4

AThe top or cover '1, preferably of translucent material, is` held in place by having its, anges 6 caught under the bent vends 5 of the metal strips 3 and 4. f

fastened in the other groove extends from the lower portion of the clip 3| and is curved and I A thumb piece or slide 43 (Fig. 11) of insulating material has a projection 44 attached thereto which extends through an elongated slot 45 in the metal strip 3 and through a hole in a sliding contact or switch 46. The projection 44 is preferably made of an insulating material such as a synthetic resin, whose end 41 can be upset to attach the same to the switch 46,. A transverse rib 48 is provided along the inner side of `the strip 3, and a corresponding transverse rib 49 is provided on the bottom side of the contact 46 to snap over the rib 48 as this Contact or switch is moved back and forth to the on and off positions. A contact finger 50 is provided on the switch 46 to contact with the plate 39 on the socket 38 so as to close the circuit.

A pair of dry cells 5I and 52 (indicated in dotdash lines) is located in the semicrcular seats 53 y and 54 in the walls I2 of the members I and I.

The metal strips 2 and 2 and the spring clips I3 `and I4 are fastened to the casing halves I and 4I' by the cleats 8, and the button 44 and switch 46 are attached to the strip 3. The other parts are manually removable.

In assembling the parts the spring contact 2|,

` the center contact clip 26, the contact clip 3I carrying the contact spring arm 33 which rests against the strip 3, and the spring plate 39 carrying the lamp socket 38, are pressed into position and frictionally reta-ined in place. The lamp bulb 40 is screwed into place, the cover 'I placed in position for its flanges 6 to t under'the ends 5 of the strips 3 and 4, the battery cells 5I and 52 are pushed into place, and the halves are then assembled and are kept removably in. place by the springs I3 and I4.

When the switch 46 is closed, the-electric circuit can be traced as follows: from the center contact of the lamp 40 through the contact arm 21, clip 26, cell 5I, spring contact 2|, cell 52, spring clip 3l, contact spring arm 33, metal strip 3, switch 46, contact nger 50, spring plate 39 0f the socket 38, socket 38, and through the lilament of the lamp bulb 40.

What is claimed is:

1. In a flashlight, a casing ofinsulating material, comprising two similar sections having transverse walls with recessestherein to accommodate a pair of dry cells, a spring contact at one end of said cas-ing for said cells,`means at the other end to make and break connection to a lamp bulb, and spring means surrounding the spaces for said cells for holding said sections in assembled relation. p

2. In a ashlight having a casing in two parts, a spring attached to each part respectively, said springs being adapted to hold battery cells side by side and hold said parts of the casing in assembled relation.

3. In a iiashlight, a casing in two parts, means including a spring attached to one of said parts forholding battery cells side byA side, and a second spring attached to the other part and slidably contacting with said first named spring for holding thetwo parts of said casing of said flashlight in assembled relation.

. BERNARD F. MULDooN. 

